Boat rental rules in Ontario

Safety equipment on board

• If a rental boat has a toilet, you (owner) and the operator must make sure that while it is on the water it has storage equipment (a holding tank) and that the toilet and storage equipment are installed so they are not portable. The owner must also make sure the storage equipment has a deck fitting and piping for removal of toilet waste by shore-based pump-out (s. 4).

  Law Source: R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 343: Discharge of Sewage from Pleasure Boats (Environmental Protection Act, Ontario) ↗ s. 3, 4(b) Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  “The owner and the operator of every pleasure boat in which a toilet is installed shall ensure that, while the boat is on water, (a) the boat is equipped with storage equipment; and (b) such toilet and storage equipment are installed so as to be non-portable. … equipment designed for the storage of human excrement is provided with a deck fitting and such connecting piping as is necessary for the removal of toilet waste by shore-based pumping equipment;”

Local rules and by-laws

• On all Ontario waters, power-driven and electric boats must not go faster than 10 km/h within 30 m of shore. It does not apply in rivers under 100 m wide, canals, buoyed channels or waters with a scheduled speed limit (Schedule 5 of TP 15587), or when towing a water-skier on a course away from and perpendicular to the shore.

  Law Source: Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations (SOR/2008-120) ↗ s. 2(7)(a), (8) Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  “A person must not operate a vessel driven by electrical propulsion or a power-driven vessel at a speed in excess of 10 km/h within 30 m of the shore in the following waters: (a) the waters of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta; … (b) in respect of a vessel that is operated (i) in rivers that are less than 100 m in width or in canals or buoyed channels, or (ii) in any waters described in Schedule 5 in TP 15587.”

• In Ontario no one may discharge or deposit sewage from a pleasure boat into any water, or let it happen. Ontario's definition of pleasure boat expressly includes boats on charter and boats used for compensation, so it covers your rental fleet.

  Law Source: R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 343: Discharge of Sewage from Pleasure Boats (Environmental Protection Act, Ontario) ↗ s. 1 ("pleasure boat"), s. 2 Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  ““pleasure boat” means a boat used primarily for the carriage of a person or persons for pleasure, whether on charter or not, and whether for compensation or not, and includes a boat used on water for living purposes; … No person shall discharge or deposit, or cause or permit to be discharged or deposited, into any water, sewage from a pleasure boat.”

• Under Ontario liquor rules, a boat counts as a private place only if it has permanent sleeping accommodations and permanent cooking and sanitary facilities, and only while it is at anchor or secured to a dock or land. A boat without these facilities, or any boat under way, is not a private place under this rule; brief your renters on this.

  Law Source: O. Reg. 745/21: General (Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019, Ontario) ↗ s. 22(7) Checked October 18, 2026

  Show the official wording

  “A boat with permanent sleeping accommodations and permanent cooking and sanitary facilities, other than a boat used to carry passengers for hire, is a private place while the boat is at anchor or is secured to a dock or land.”

In an emergency

Not confirmed yet

What we looked for and could not confirm from an official source. Ask the authority before you assume anything here.

• The sections of Ontario's Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 that set out where liquor may be possessed and consumed were not opened (the e-Laws text could not be loaded); only the private-place rule in O. Reg. 745/21 is confirmed.

• Ontario provincial licensing or permits for boat rental businesses are not confirmed yet.

• Which named Ontario lakes and rivers have extra speed, engine-power or towing limits in TP 15587 (Ontario parts of the schedules) is not listed here; check the schedules for your waters.

• Parks Canada business permits for rental operators on the Rideau Canal and Trent-Severn Waterway are not confirmed yet.

Official bodies

Who makes and enforces these rules.

• Transport Canada, Office of Boating Safetyvessel operation restrictions (speed limits) on Ontario waterstc.canada.ca ↗
• Government of Ontario (e-Laws)Environmental Protection Act Reg. 343 (sewage from pleasure boats)ontario.ca ↗
• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontarioliquor licensing; Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 and its regulationsagco.ca ↗
• Parks Canada (Rideau Canal, Trent-Severn Waterway)lock permits, mooring and canal rulesparks.canada.ca ↗